A decade ago, the Hudson Catholic football program was in solid shape. Under the leadership of former coach and athletic director Rob Stern, the Hawks were perennial contenders in the NJSIAA Non-Public sectionals and solid threats inside Hudson County.
But after the Hawks made it to the Non-Public Group 2 state championship game in 2008, falling to Holy Cross of Delran in the title game, 7-0, Stern was unceremoniously removed from his coaching and administrative positions.
After Stern’s departure, the Hudson Catholic program suffered tremendously. There was a string of coaches, three different coaches in three years. One was a former assistant coach at Rutgers University named Chris Demarest. He was given the keys to the athletic program, guided the Hawks to a dismal 2-8 record and resigned before the end of the school year.
Another was a former star with the New York Giants, a Super Bowl hero. But Leonard Marshall was certainly not the answer. Marshall was ill equipped to be a head football coach and the Hawks sputtered to a 3-7 mark.
Then, the school brought in a former high school head coach in Colin Eckert, who was previously at Mount Olive in Morris County. The Hawks were vastly improved, but it didn’t show in the team’s record, as they finished 3-7 in Eckert’s lone year.
Three different coaches, three losing seasons. It was a program that was in complete disarray, with a revolving door of coaches coming in and out.
Enter Lou Zampella.
Zampella was a former assistant coach and defensive coordinator under Stern during those successful years. Zampella is also an alumnus of the school and former grid overachiever who eventually played for Stern at St. Peter’s College, where Zampella was also an assistant coach.
Zampella was hired as the head coach at his alma mater three years ago and was asked to restore a little bit of stability and pride in the grid program.
“When I took over, I was kind of shocked to see how the program had declined,” Zampella said. “I needed to see an overall sacrifice and commitment from the players that wasn’t there. When I took over, we were going to have a different kind of sacrifice, a different work ethic. It was difficult coming back.”
Zampella figured that it would take a few years to restore the program to respectability.
“I knew it would take some time after I got hired,” Zampella said. “But we had some young kids coming in, so there was some hope.”
There sure was. In 2012, Zampella’s first year as head coach, the Hawks improved to 5-5 and qualified for the NJSIAA Non-Public Group 2 state playoffs.
Last year, it was more of the same. The Hawks, featuring a team with a host of freshmen and sophomores, posted another 5-5 mark and made another trip to the state playoffs.
But this season, the Hawks are absolutely soaring.
They have won their first five games of the year, already matching the win total of the last two seasons. It’s the school’s best start since a 5-0-1 mark in 2003, Stern’s first year of his second stint on McGinley Square.
The Hawks have a chance this weekend to improve to 6-0 with a win over winless Ferris. Yes, Zampella has the Hudson Catholic program steering in the right direction.
Zampella is somewhat shocked with the Hawks’ undefeated surge.
“I am a little surprised,” Zampella said. “We’re excited. I guess I thought if we worked hard and played well, we had a chance. But I’m very impressed with the progress we’ve made.”
There’s also a sense of pride involved with everyone.
“I’m very happy,” Zampella said. “But we’re not content. In a couple of weeks, we have some tough games coming up [against Hoboken, Lincoln and St. Anthony]. So we can’t be content. We have to work to keep getting better. We want to get ready for the next step. It is very exciting.”
What is also exciting is the plethora of talented and young performers the Hawks have.
Their top two running backs, Syhiem Simmons and Khashawn Decker, are electrifying runners with unlimited potential. They are both major college prospects, but they’re only sophomores.
Simmons has the perfect package of size, speed and talent.
“He has a chance to be the best back I’ve ever coached,” Zampella said. “The potential is there.”
The names of Darius Kinney and Jonathan Calderon came up, two former Hudson Reporter All-Area honorees, in comparison to Simmons. Calderon was the former Reporter Player of the Year in 2008. Simmons is right there.
Decker is certainly no slouch. He has breakaway speed to go with his powerful legs.
“Simmons and Decker are very exciting,” Zampella said. “They are two special kids, special players. When all is said and done, they have a chance to be right there with Kinney and Calderon [who is currently an assistant coach with the Hawks].”
The two are also excellent defensive players, Decker at cornerback and Simmons at linebacker.
“When the time comes, they could be recruited as defensive players,” Zampella said. “They are that good on either side of the ball.”
The Hawks are so blessed with talent right now that they have three quarterbacks they can call upon. Junior Malcolm Stewart started last season as a tailback and gained 190 yards in his first game, earning Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Week honors. But with the glut of talented backs, Stewart was transformed into a quarterback and has done a marvelous job.
“He’s a high character kid and an unselfish kid,” Zampella said of Stewart.
But the Hawks also have sophomore Tyler Herzlich, a transfer from LaSalle Academy in New York, and Marcus Dunn, a transfer from Marist who just became eligible to play last week after sitting out the mandatory 30 days due to the NJSIAA transfer rules.
The Hawks also gained another brilliant transfer in Steven Harper, who earned Hudson Reporter All-Area honors last year as a sophomore at Marist. Harper is a phenomenal linebacker who will also get his fair share of NCAA Division I scholarship offers when the time comes. One recruiting service had Harper listed as the top defensive junior in the state before he decided to transfer to Hudson from Marist, also having to sit out the first four weeks of the season in the process.
“Steven is definitely a difference maker,” Zampella said. “He’s knocking a little bit of the rust off from not playing, but with his speed, he can do it all. He’s very good at blitzing and getting to the quarterback. He’s a very talented player.”
Another player to watch is Isaiah Thornton, a junior defensive tackle.
“He just might be the best player on our team right now,” Zampella said. “Isaiah is doing it all for us right now.”
Zampella is also pleased with the play of two senior linemen, namely Thomas Slippe and Kamau Laguerre.
“They’ve been leaders for us,” Zampella said.
So it seems as if everything is just fine with the boys from McGinley Square. An undefeated start, maybe the best in school history. Certainly a far cry from what transpired when it was announced that the school was closing back in 2008. The Hawks have a prominent role among Hudson County’s elite grid programs. No one thought it was possible so soon, not even the architect of the turnaround.
“I honestly thought it would take a few years,” Zampella said. “But I’m happy with the way the program is moving forward. It was once a disaster.”
As a Hoboken fire captain, Zampella knows all about disasters and how to avoid them. It takes a little luck, a lot of hard work and a ton of blood, sweat and even tears. A 5-0 record to start this season is proof of that.
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com. You can also read Jim’s blog at www.jimhaguesports.blogspot.com.